India says Iran, US should talk nuclear issue over

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India said on Friday it wanted
differences between Iran and the United States on Tehran’s
nuclear activities to be resolved through talks, as New Delhi
walks a diplomatic tightrope in its ties with both nations.

India has traditionally had strong ties with Islamic Iran
and is looking to Tehran to partially offset India’s huge
appetite for energy. It is planning an ambitious $7-8 billion
pipeline project with Iran that would run through Pakistan.

But India’s relations with Washington have also expanded on
the strategic, economic and high-technology levels after New
Delhi was quick to back the U.S. war on terror after the
September 11 attacks.

“India is against proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction. We have said Iran, just as any other country,
should live to its commitments and obligations (on nuclear
activities),” Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran told a news
conference.

“These matters should be resolved through discussions and
not through confrontation.”

The United States and the European Union group of three —
France, Britain and Germany — want to take Iran to the U.N.
Security Council, which has the power to impose economic
sanctions, after reports confirmed Tehran had resumed uranium
conversion.

Washington which suspects Iran is covertly making nuclear
weapons.

The stakes are high for New Delhi. In July, in a symbol of
warming ties, Washington promised nuclear-armed India full
cooperation in developing its civil nuclear program.

But key aspects of the deal have to be approved by the U.S.
Congress and several American lawmakers said on Wednesday the
agreement was at risk if New Delhi did not work with Washington
to punish Iran for its nuclear activities.

“Sometimes, our perspectives are not exactly the same,”
said Saran.